coinage byblos phoenician and roman

 Coinage appeared in seventh century b.c and continued into the fifth century marked with a great variety of types on the reverse.  

Coinage and inscriptions were abundant at the time of Persian rule in Byblos, but the date of the reign of their kings did not appear on the coins making it difficult to trace the exact chronology of its kings. The first king having reigned in Byblos in the Persian era, since the conquest by Cyrus, was Shipitbaal III (around 500 b.c) implicating that there were two before him. King Yehawmilk (450 b.c), leaving behind him a famous inscription describing works done on the temple of Baalat Gebal. Significant coinage was struck under his rule. A suggestion has been made, based on the inscription of Yehawmilk that his grand father and his father reigned before him. There is a gap in the information as to whether who reigned after yehawmilk, the coinage after him show the names of four kings, Elpaal, Ozbaal, Addirmilk and Aynel, the exact chronology is not very well known, but a proposition was made as to classify them as they are here mentioned. It is suggested that the last king Aynel was permitted to reign under Alexander the Great. It was also proposed that a Urimilk was the be inserted between Addirmilk and Aynel, and Zakur between Ozbaal and Addirmilk. 

The chonology would be  Shipitbaal III (?), Urimilk II, Yeharbaal, Yehawmilk, Elpaal, Ozbaal, Addirmilk and Aynel. 

•  War galley left with lion's head prow ornament, zigzag row of waves below, three hoplites with round shields within; hippocamp left above murex / Lion attacking bull to left
• Asarte standing left, holding sceptre in one hand & raising the other / Crown of Astrate
  Sphinx seated left, in double crown of Egypt / Lightning bolt of Baal Hadad (or double lotus) in dotted circle within incuse square
• Turreted head of Tyche right
• War galley left with a horse figurehead on the prow and a griffin head on the tiller, three hoplites within; hippocamp below. / Vulture, with spread wings standing left on the back of a recumbent ram, which is incuse. 

COMMODUS
Isis Pharia standing right on raft, holding billowing sail with both hands. 

CARACALLA
Tetrastyle temple with rounded, fan-like architrave, Astarte, turreted, standing right within, left foot on a prow, resting on a cross-shaped stylis with right hand and raising her robe over her knee with left hand and being crowned by a small Nike standing on a cippus to right.

Astarte standing right within, holding sceptre and being crowned by Nike. 

Eagle standing right on ground line, head and tail left, wreath in beak. Plain altar between the eagle's legs. 

MACRINUS
Temple precinct of the Adonis festival or Aphrodite: conical cult baetyl of Aphrodite surrounded by ornate fence, all within colonnaded court, below, stairway leading to entrance; to left, distyle temple open left, containing lighted altar, stairway, and acrostolium decorated with trefoil, the whole viewed in perspective. 

Isis Pharia standing right on raft, holding billowing sail and sistrum.

Eagle standing facing, wings open, head left, holding wreath in beak, altar between legs. 

DIADUMENIAN
Distyle temple, covered by an arch, with Astarte standing right within, polos on head, holding sceptre, foot on prow, crowned by Nike, standing on column right before her. 

ELAGABALUS
Hexastyle temple with central arch, Astarte standing facing within, foot on prow, holding sceptre, being crowned by Nike on column to right. 

Tetrastyle temple containing statue of Astarte standing left, turreted, foot on prow, holding aphlaston & rudder. 

JULIA SOAEMIAS
Hexastyle temple with central arch; within, Astarte standing right with left foot on prow and holding standard, being crowned by Nike standing on column to right; rudder blade in field to right. 

SEVERUS ALEXANDER
Hexastyle temple with arched lintel, Astarte standing right within, left foot on prow and holding standard, being crowned by Nike standing on column to right.